Can New York's rural schools survive growing poverty and population loss?

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Over the past 10 years, New York's rural schools have been under a dual strain: falling enrollment and rising poverty.

Nearly 85 percent of the state's rural schools have seen enrollment drop by 10 percent or more over the past decade, while the rate of student poverty grew 4 percentage points to 17.7 percent, according to a report released this week by the New York State Association of School Business Officials. In the Capital Region, rural schools' enrollment dipped 11 percent in this time period.

These strains are affecting everything from college prep offerings and extracurricular activities to hiring decisions and retirement costs, the report found. But there are solutions. Schools could share services, try distance learning and increase partnerships with BOCES and community agencies. And the state could revamp its school funding formula and promote mandate relief.

"The challenges facing rural school districts and their communities require a comprehensive approach from state policymakers that recognizes their unique needs and limitations," said Michael Borges, executive director of the association.

By the numbers

340 rural school districts in New York

295,628 students were enrolled in rural schools in 2016-17

11.1 percent of students statewide are enrolled in rural districts

15.8 percent of all state aid is allocated to rural districts

96.7 percent of rural school districts saw enrollment decline in the past decade

84.9 percent of rural school districts saw enrollment drop by at least 10 percent in the past decade

11 percent — how much enrollment has declined in the Capital Region's rural school districts in the past decade

48.3 percent of rural students in New York are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, a proxy measure for poverty

Source: Demographic Challenges Facing Rural Schools, a report by the New York State Association of School Business Officials

Demographic trends across the state have played a large role in the schools.

Rural New York entered a period of sustained population decline following the Great Recession, while urban areas continued to grow (growth slowed after 2011, though). From 2002 to 2011, all parts of the state except New York City saw either slower population growth or continued decline.

At the same time, the population has aged. Statewide, the share of residents 55 years old and older grew from 22 percent to 28 percent from 2000 to 2016. The trend was more pronounced in rural counties: the portion of residents 55 and older grew from 24.4 percent to 33.4 percent.

Interestingly, the share of teenagers between 15 and 19 remained larger in rural areas than urban.

"The most likely explanation for this gap is that after finishing high school, rural residents are more likely to leave their communities, whether for military service, further education or employment opportunities," the report notes. "It also means that looking at middle and high school enrollment numbers in isolation of other trends can disguise the degree of aging in rural communities."

The report also notes that New York's rural communities are now poorer than their urban counterparts. In 2000, poverty rates were 16.1 percent in urban areas compared to 13.2 percent in rural areas. By 2015, the rural poverty rate had grown to 16.1 percent, compared to an urban poverty rate of 15.4 percent.

Education advocates worry that the growing strains of poverty and enrollment declines — which force schools to cut programs that lack students to fill them, like Advanced Placement courses, music and sports — are putting an already at-risk population further out of reach of college and career opportunities.

Schools could combat this by pursuing partnerships and getting creative, the report says. Partnering with BOCES would allow districts to offer more college preparatory material, through expanded AP courses and distance learning technology. Community agencies, meanwhile, could help run and open school-based health clinics.

The governor and Legislature also have a role to play. The state currently bases the amount of aid it doles out to districts on outdated need-resource categories from 2008. At the time, most rural schools (52.4 percent) were categorized as "average need." Using current data, however, would show that most rural schools are actually high-need, leading to more state aid.

The association is also calling for the passage of legislation that would encourage school districts to share transportation, and therefore reduce costs.

"The state needs to provide targeted incentives and remove roadblocks to collaborative efforts that seek to create a more efficient and effective educational framework for rural school students," Borges said.

Improving broadband in these communities could also have a big impact. It would broaden academic and social opportunities for students, the report notes, while boosting local businesses and industry that still rely on old-fashioned paper-and-pencil business practices.